STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Hundreds of Staten Islanders gathered on Richmond Avenue bearing banners and American flags to pay thanks to wounded soldiers at the tail end of their motorcade escort from the Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., to New York City.

Over 300 motorcyclists took part in the 200-mile escort, which kicked off the annual "Staten Island Welcomes Our Heroes" weekend. The SIWOH committee has been organizing the weekend trip for the past six years to pay tribute to soldiers wounded in combat.

One of the six honorees was Staten Island's Spc. James (Jamie) Lee, 30, who was wounded during combat in Afghanistan in February. Lee described seeing the flock of supporters gathered near the mall as surreal.

"You grow up here, you live here, you drive down the street a thousand times and you never think anything of it. And you come back here after everything happened and it really chokes you up," Lee said. "It's great for Staten Island to just embrace these soldiers. It's something very special."

After the wounded soldiers rode into town on the back of a vintage FDNY fire truck, the escort stopped for complimentary lunch at the Commons Cafe in Bloomfield. The motorcade then came to a close at the AMVETS John R. Tamburri VFW Post in Westerleigh for riders to relax and enjoy a barbecue, drinks and an evening serenade from the PS 29 chorus.

The honorees are spending two complimentary nights at the Bloomfield Hilton Garden Inn. On Sunday, the soldiers will be taken on U.S Coast Guard cutters for a boat trip around downtown Manhattan. For most of the guests, it will be their first time seeing the Manhattan skyline in person.

At the Westerleigh VFW Post barbeque, the Vietnam veterans of the post treasured giving the wounded soldiers something they never received--a warm welcome home.

"This event is about making sure that what happened to Vietnam vets never happens again," said post Commander Vincent P. Harden III, whose face was red from the wind-burn of riding his motorcycle some 200 miles.

His post was named in memory of John R. Tamburri, who died in combat in Vietnam. John's brother, sister and father took part in the event.

"Every year, it's just a wonderful time," said Joanne Tamburri, John's sister, who has taken part in the event since its inception. "The public needs to acknowledge and respect all that these soldiers have given for them."

"We're giving these guys the respect they rightfully deserve," Vietnam veteran and former marine Nick Mazzella said. "As a veteran, it's gratifying for me that we're doing something for them."

For Spc. Lee it was a sweet return home. He's received over 1,000 letters of support from Staten Islanders during his recovery and he can't put into words how thankful he is to those people.

"Each of those cards means something to me," said Spc. Lee, a former Advance staffer whose father is the paper's deputy sports editor. "The fact that those people took time out of their day to think about me; I wish I could scream 'thank you' from the rooftops, because it really means that much."

Another honoree was a marine from Atlanta, who had part of his hand blown off by rocket-propelled grenade fire in Afghanistan.

"For me, this was the homecoming I never had. It's just awesome," he said. "These veterans introduce themselves to me and say 'they're honored to meet me. But really, I'm the one who's honored to be here with them."